Distilling oil.



, Pafefed Mar. 4, |902.

No. 694,62I.

J. A. DUBBS.

DISTILLING OIL.

(Application md Feb. 2s, 190x.;

(llo Model.)

WITNESSES:

vIt

UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE A. DUBBS, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

DISTILLING OIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of .Letters Patent No. 694,621, dated March4, 1902.

Application sied February 28,

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JESSE A. DUBBS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented ordiscovered certain new and usefulImprovements in Distilling Oil, of which improvements-the following is aspecification.

In Letters Patent No. 646,639, granted to me April 3, 1900,-I havedescribed and claimed a method of distilling oil consisting, generallystated, in effecting the vaporization by the conjoint action of heat andair forced-through the oil. Experience has shown that the distillatethus produced is defective vfor illuminating purposes by reason of thesmoke and unpleasantodor produced in burning the distillate. l

The object of the present invention is to provide for such a molecularchange as will produce an oil which will be smokeless and odorless incombustion.

The invention is hereinafter more fully del scribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a stillsuitable for the prac-A ticeof my invention, and Fig. 2 is a similar view of a still adapted for thepractice of va vmodification of the method. Y l

In the practice of my invention the oil is charged into the still l andheated in the usual or any suitable manner lo the temperature usual indistilling oils. Following the instructions set forth in Letters PatentNo. 646,639 air is introduced through the pipes 3 and forced through theheated oilin regulated quantities. As before stated, the distillate thusproduced is not satisfactory for illuminating purpose, as in combustionconsiderable smoke andan unpleasant odor are produced. It has beenattempted to produce the molecular change necessary for the productionof a distillate which in combustion will ybe free fromsmoke and odoi byforcing air Serial No. 49,268. (No specimens.)

vaporous or liquid form, be subjected to the direct action of air that afurther molecular change will be effected. This second distillation maybe effected in several ways-as, for example, the liquid distillate maybe placed in a still similar to the still l and a second distillationeffected in the same manner as the first vthat is to say, the distillateis heated in the usual or anysuitable manner toa temperature to effectavaporization of the oil, and air, preferably heated, is introducedthrough the pipe 3 and forced'through the oil. The amount of airinjected is controlled by the quantity lof distillate escaping from thecondenser. `By determining thevolume of gas at the temperature in thestill necessary Ato produce a cubic foot of distillate the rate of iowof the distillate from the condenser will indicate the rate ofevaporation in the still, as the gases flow freely from the stillthrough the condenser. The rate of generation of gas being determined,the operator so adjusts the flow of air that the volume of the latterforced into the still during a given time will be about four times thevolu me of gas generated during the same period. In otherwvords, theoperator regulates the infiow of air in accordance with the flow ofdistillate from the condenser..

Inlieuof condensing the vapors generated 'vin 'the` first or originaldistillation and then subjecting the distillate to a second treatment byair, air `may be forced through the pipe 6 into the vapors contained inthe upper portion of the still 1f. The air thus introduced into thevapors will. effect such a molecular change in the hydrocarbons that theoil will burnwith a smokeless and odorless flame. In forcing air intothe vapors in the upper part of the still 1 care Ashould be taken thatthe proportions of air and vapor above .stated should be maintained. D

With some oils it may be necessary to subject them to three or moredistillations-that is to say, the distillate from the crude is subjected to a distillation, as described, and the second distillate issubjected to a similar treatment. These successive distillations may becontinued unt-il the desired molecular change has been produced, whichis determined by practical tests, such as burning the oil in a lamp. Thesuccessive treat-ments of the dis- IOO tillate may be effected eitherbefore or after the distillate has been condensed, as hereinbeforestated.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. As an improvement in the artoftreating oils the method herein described, which consists in forcing airthrough the oil while the latter is maintained at a vaporizingtemperature and then subjecting the distillate while heated to theaction of air, substantially as set forth.

2. As an improvement in the art of treating oils the method hereindescribed which consists in forcing air through the oil While the latteris maintained at a vaporizing temperature condensing the vapors, heatingthe distillate to a vaporizing temperature and forc- JESSE A. DUBBS.

Witnesses:

F. E. GAITHER, DARWIN S. WoLCoT'r.

